Never Too Late
by Kiro-HiSakata
Summary: A continuation of "If Only..." Tifa and Vincent reminisce about their relationship with their former signifcant others and the aftermath of them as well. Tifa tries not to allow herself to believe that she and Vincent will be together in due time.


Hm, just when I thought "If Only…" was going to be a one time moment, I decide to add more to it. I guess I'll just keep them as standalones, almost like a "Choose Your Path" kind of thing where if you want to open the purple door, go to page twelve or if you want to open the blue door, go to page 15.

I might even add on one more installation which would be the possible relationship between Tifa and Vincent having a good ending, a bad ending with Cloud finding out, or it's never going to go anywhere beyond a friendship ending.

All three sound really good and, at the rate I'm going, rather detailed and possible emotional. Who knows… I didn't think I'd continue on with the concept of "If Only.." but, like I said, it's kind of reflecting on what's been going on in my own life, and being able to write it down in a sense is very relieving.

------------------

I said it once, and I shall say it again - I only wish I owned sVincent Valentine /s Final Fantasy, but I do not own the name, the characters mentioned, or even have any affiliation with the creators. I own nothing! This is made for the fans who enjoy a good reading, and I only hope to satisfy the want. Thank you.

------------------

**NEVER TOO LATE…**

She couldn't shake the image of him out of her head. No matter what she was doing, Tifa allowed her mind to wander as images of Vincent flashed through her mind. She even smiled without even knowing it as she pictured the two of them together, holding hands, kissing softly, and even a quick image of what most girls dream of played through her mind.

Of course, with fantasy came reality. She barely knew anything about Vincent other than he was Cloud's friend, roommate, and mentor. He had lived some time longer on this earth than either Cloud nor Tifa and was willing to be Cloud's shoulder to lean on during his emotional state after the breakup.

Even so, the thought of him mesmerized her to the point where she felt no other man could persuade her to be with them instead of daydreaming about Vincent.

It had only been a few days since Vincent had told Tifa about how he felt about her. That hope was only washed away when he told her in a subtle manner that it wouldn't be fair to willingly upset Cloud while Vincent was happy with his ex-girlfriend. As much as she wanted to attempt to have Vincent see things in a more optimistic way, she knew he was right. Cloud was going through a lot, and, even if Vincent and Tifa kept their relations on the down low, it would eventually eat both of them up with guilt and shame for doing this to a human being who had a big heart and trusted both of them with better instincts than to get together. Especially behind his back.

Tifa had her reasons to initiate the breakup; she felt that Cloud was distancing himself from the relationship and was off in his own little world. She would notice him just standing by the same window at the bar day in and out, just gazing at the clouds followed by the stars once night hit. She knew about his past and tried to be understanding, feeling that he would eventually be able to straighten out his feelings and be able to progress in his life without holding back. A year had passed, then two. Once the third year came and left, Tifa grew impatient. She was ready to move on with her life with or without Cloud. She sat him down, poured herself out that she kept bottled for so long - mainly how she had set aside her own wants and needs to try and be there for him even though he was gone before noticing the gesture. An hour or so had passed, Tifa being the only one talking. It frustrated her that Cloud was sitting there, staring at her with no response to anything she said.

She wanted to be understanding and reach out and grasp Cloud's hand, telling him that she knows it's a lot for him to take in in such a short time. She then realized that if she did that, she'd be dedicating yet another three years of her life into something that will more than likely not happen . She thought she could see the two of them being together for a long time, maybe even have children someday, but to explain to them why Daddy is always looking out the window or taking a ride out into the wilderness without them would be a little too much for Tifa to explain without tears of helplessness forming in her eyes and eventually shining down her cheeks.

It took a lot for her to verbally state "It's over" to Cloud, but after he left without saying a word, she felt a heavy weight being lifted from her shoulders. That weight was three years of waiting, trying to be empathetic, and eventually coming to terms that every time she said "I love you" to him, preparing herself for nothing more in response than a heavy sigh.

-----------------------------

Time passed, and it was a little rough for Tifa to finally come to terms with the fact that someone she loved and cared deeply for is no longer hers. She decided to sit down one day and write down everything she had told Cloud and started to think more rationally than emotionally. The main thing that was eating at her was if Cloud was going to be alright. Once he told her that he was moving in with Vincent, she knew he would be in good hands.

Tifa never thought anything more about Vincent other than just being Cloud's mentor. He was very wise beyond his years and a good listener as well. She remembered having a few brief conversations with him and noticed how well he carried himself as he spoke. The only thought that came close to any feelings beyond friendship was that Tifa felt he would never be interested in her. Any thoughts beyond friendship were immediately diminished as she continued to have her talks with Vincent.

----------------------------

She couldn't help but to inquire about Lucrecia, in which Vincent was more than willing to state the current situation they were in. They had been together for nearly a decade. It seemed like a fairytale meeting - of all the places, they met while she was assisting his late father with lab experiments as he was involved in some shady business known as the Turks. He persuaded her but had a feeling that her feelings for him was nothing more than just a basic friend.

He allowed his own feelings to delude him from the reality that she didn't feel the same way about him. She allowed him to take her out and buy her exquisite gifts to show his love for her. After two years, the two became married. Things were fine for their first year married but soon became sour as Lucrecia started to pull away from Vincent almost entirely. It started with the "no, thanks" to his offers of physical affection, resulting in Vincent buying even more luxurious foods and attire for Lucrecia. Tifa's mouth dropped when he told her how much he spent on Lucrecia - it was more than Tifa had made in her life!

Vincent wanted nothing more than to be with Lucrecia and work things out, despite the slow reality that she never loved him starting to sink in. The possibility of her being infidel also crossed his mind as she stated she had to stay late and do some test work with her new boss, Professor Hojo. Vincent met the man once and never really thought anything about him except how a shower could help once in a while.

The final year was closing in, and Vincent started to notice something funny about Lucrecia's tummy. The rest of her was thin, but her belly was starting to grow. He decided to finally head down to Hojo's laboratory one night and confront them. As he busted through the doors of the lab, a scantly cladded Lucrecia jumped up from between the legs of a happy looking Hojo and started to bawl. Once Hojo gathered his senses as to what was happening, he became infuriated at Vincent and started charging at him while tucking himself back in his pants. For the first time ever, Vincent allowed his anger to get the best of him and cursed and cried at the two for being so selfish with their own needs and how much he had loved Lucrecia.

He knew better than to degrade her, though. It was never something he was fond of seeing other men do, and, despite what was currently going on, he stuck to his guns on this belief. That, and hitting anyone was out of the question. He kept his arms out as to let Hojo know that he just wanted to let him and Lucrecia know that everything he thought was going on had been and that he didn't want to believe it. His final statement was, "I hope you two have a nice life together. Lucrecia, you better grab what you need in the next twenty four hours because I'm going to set the house we shared on fire and destroy this delusional memory that for a second, I thought you were happy with me. Shame on me for believing that."

He then told me he actually didn't set the house on fire but instead hired some close friends to watch Hojo and Lucrecia only take what was hers and nothing of his.

A few months after the fallout, Lucrecia started calling Vincent and asking him if he would take her back. Even though he still loved her, he rejected her offer and told her that he wasn't going to hurt Hojo just like Lucrecia and Hojo had hurt him. He knew the feeling all too well and did not want to cause hurt to anyone just to make himself happy despite them hurting him in the first place.

"Fine, if you want to be like that, then so be it. Goodbye," Lucrecia said dryly, abruptly ending the final conversation between the two of them.

For that time, at least.

----------------------------

Tifa was preparing for another restless night as she combed her wet hair then brushed her teeth. She honestly never felt this way about any other guy she was with before. Even if it was only less than a handful of men, she never allowed herself to be in a trance for hours, thinking of what could possibly happen between herself and her boyfriend at the time.

Not even Cloud.

She decided to check her email and see if anything new was going on. As she peeked in her inbox, a certain message caught her attention.

_Hey, _

_It's Vincent._

_I saw your email written down on a piece of paper Cloud had with your name on it. I've been thinking about what was said the other day… I know it's me going back on my word in the sense that I told you I couldn't hurt Cloud for my own gain in happiness, but you've been in my thoughts. I enjoyed the few moments we had to talk and find you to be very interesting. Your eyes are also appealing to me as well as that sweet smile of yours. I know I'm running a risk here, but call me when you have the chance. _

_Tifa held back a squeal as she jotted down Vincent's number. Tomorrow, she would call him and hope Cloud wasn't anywhere near him when she did. _

'_This could turn out to be a very good thing,' Tifa thought to herself, 'but if Cloud ever finds out, it could destroy him as well… Why is it that something that feels so good also winds up being something that could eventually become poisonous?'_


End file.
